Game Gear Reviews T-Z

T2: The Arcade Game for the Game Gear is a scaled-down version of the Sega Master System game, which I hated. So I'm going to trash this one too, right? Well, not so fast. While it's no gem, I found this portable edition to be substantially more playable, and I'll tell you why.

T2 is a first-person shooter where you aim a cursor to blast Terminator robots. Since the graphics are lower in resolution than the Master System, everything is larger. This makes aiming a lot easier because you have bigger targets and a larger cursor. Armed with a rapid-fire machine gun, you can mow down approaching Terminators with extreme prejudice.

These Terminators actually look more like skeletons, and when shot, they fall back like a keystone cop slipping on a banana peel. The "up close" terminators turn their heads when shot, even when you're shooting them in the chest.

Your firepower is substantial, but you may notice it becomes weaker after extended shooting. That's a sign that your gun is overheated. Just lay off the trigger for a second and it will return to full power. I figured this out when I noticed that a lot of the power-ups were labeled as "enhanced coolant".

The best thing about this version is the increased speed. This feels like an overclocked version of the Master System game. Everything moves at a frenzied pace, and it's especially noticeable when the screen scrolls briskly to the left. I'm glad the game is in a hurry, because the stages tend to be long and repetitive.

The second stage involves shooting T-800 (Arnold-style) Terminators in a factory. It looks cool how your initial shots shoot his skin off. The most annoying enemies in this stage are the flying drones. Even in the early 90's they somehow knew that in the not-too-distant future drones were going to be one big pain in the ass.

I'll wrap up by saying I didn't hate this game. If you can't play T2: The Arcade Game with a light gun, you might as well play this. At least it's short and sweet, like any decent portable game should be. © Copyright 2025 The Video Game Critic.

Reviewing this game was a shock to the system! Tengen World Cup is arcade-style soccer to the N-th degree. I feel like I'm playing it on an overclocked PC! Calling this game fast would be an understatement; it's downright frantic! Even if you set the game speed to "slow" it still runs circles around other soccer games.

You view a pretty decent chunk of the field at a given time, with colorful, well-articulated players. Obviously having just two buttons limits the number of moves, so don't expect to see any headers or bicycle kicks. I like how the second button passes to your nearest teammate. It really comes in handy when your next guy is out of view.

On defense one button performs slide-tackles while the other switches players. I'm not sure why you would need to switch since the players auto-switch. When players bunch up it can be hard to tell who you're controlling. Sometimes I would not realize I had the ball and immediately kick it out of bounds.

Upbeat music plays throughout the match but you don't really notice it. I love the resonating sound of the ball clanking off the goal post. When you take a shot on goal it sounds like a rocket ship!

My friend Chris describes Tengen World Cup as the "Tecmo Bowl of Soccer". Its slow mode may be more practical, but the default speed is something you should experience. You will never find a faster soccer game, and you'll be hard-pressed to find one that's more exciting. You may find yourself cheering out loud while playing this. © Copyright 2021 The Video Game Critic.

It's difficult to fathom how one of the most kick-ass action films of all times was given such a pathetic video game treatment. Terminator 2: Judgement Day sucked on every platform and this portable edition was no exception.

The opening "truck stop" area perfectly illustrates the utter incompetence of this game. Arnold Schwarzenegger looks like a little kid beating up bullies on a playground, and the animation is laughable. You just sit there pounding the punch button as enemies alternate between standing and falling-over poses. There's no technique involved; it's straight-up rinse and repeat.

Things don't improve when you reach the hospital stage. Oh sure you're now armed with a gun, but the shooting action is lame. Why am I gunning down orderlies and police anyway? In the movie The Terminator would shoot innocent people in the legs to incapacitate them, but in this case it looks like he's shooting everybody in the stomach.

The action is painfully repetitive as you methodically clear out every room on a floor, take the elevator up, and repeat the process. The Cyberdyne Systems level is the same exact thing, only with high-tech scenery. Security lasers whittle down your health but it doesn't matter because the game generously dispenses extra lives - whether you want them or not! Spoiler alert: You won't!

Terminator 2: Judgement Day is one of those games that makes you wonder if you could be doing better things with your time. The music doesn't sound right and there's no score or password to chart your progress. I would love to see an actual Terminator be forced to sit down and play this atrocity. I bet he would say "Now I know why you cry, but it is something I can never do." © Copyright 2025 The Video Game Critic.

Like many Game Gear ports, this is a close facsimile of the Sega Master System game. The main difference is that the pixels are larger so the sprites look bigger and blockier. It's kind of a "zoomed in" effect.

In the opening stage you play as Kyle Reese, running across a post-apocalyptic landscape while an airship is dropping bombs on you. The bombs are attached to little parachutes for some reason. Unfortunately you're a big target so it's hard to avoid taking a few hits.

Once you reach the underground bunker you'll encounter the same headaches as the Master System version. It's hard to keep a never-ending deluge of Rambo soldiers at bay with controls so erratic and unresponsive.

You can never enjoy the game because you have to continuously throw grenades ahead of you. They travel in an arc, so if an enemy is too close it sails right over his head. You think you can duck incoming enemy fire, but sometimes they shoot low, so you can't win.

There are fleeting moments when the game is fun, like when you grab an assault rifle. This gives you the ability to mow down baddies with reckless abandon. The problem is, you'll need to switch back to grenades in order to blow up the barrier blocking the exit. And you can only hold one weapon at a time.

The stages cover all the locations from the film including the police station and Tech Noir bar. A myriad of enemies will constantly chip away at your health, but I noticed it does get replenished after you finish each major area.

You really need to be a glutton for punishment to enjoy The Terminator. It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead. © Copyright 2025 The Video Game Critic.

I don't know what the story is behind Master of Darkness, but it looks and plays a heck of a lot like Castlevania, and that is a good thing. Vampire takes place in the late 1800's, and you control a well-dressed fellow with the odd name of Ferdinand Social. The turn-of-the-century London scenery is quite realistic and conveys a nice atmosphere. There's plenty of platform jumping, but nothing too frustrating, and there are plenty of weapons hidden behind white masks.

Stages include the Thames river, a cemetery, a laboratory, and my personal favorite, the wax museum. This museum stage reminded me of an old horror flick I watched as a kid called "House of Wax" starring Vincent Price. That movie was creepy, and this stage recreates the spine-tingling chills of seeing wax figures come to life. Other monsters in the game, including zombies, skeletons, and wolves, are large and nicely animated.

The control scheme is identical to Castlevania - one button jumps and the other attacks, and pushing up while firing engages your special weapon. With the exception of navigating the stairs, the control is right on the money. Even the music is sinister and well orchestrated. Vampire is really an amazing game, and probably one of the best titles for the Game Gear. I only wish a password feature was included so it wasn't always necessary to start from the beginning. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.

The Genesis edition of Lillehammer '94 had its share of issues, and this portable version isn't much easier to swallow. I like Lillehammer's brisk pacing and snowy winter scenery, but the events are a constant struggle. The games begin with a brief opening ceremony. It's modest, but still more than I've seen from most modern Olympic titles. I'm kind of surprised that the USA isn't represented in this game.

Lillehammer contains four skiing events which are entirely too difficult. Faint blue lines in the snow indicate the proper direction, but it's really, really hard to stay within the gates. The steering controls are coarse and the gates are spaced too far apart (often outside your field of view). When turning, your skier flinches in a very disorienting manner. It's easy to run into a tree, or worse yet, come to a complete stop in the middle of the course! Hell, simply qualifying in a single ski event is a monumental achievement!

The bobsled and luge events offer impressive behind-the-sled views as you careen down the half-pipe, but your control is limited to making slight adjustments. Speed skating is one of the more exciting events as you tap buttons and jockey for position against three CPU-controlled skaters. The ski jump event is another highlight, combining simple controls and plenty of eye candy. The biathlon isn't inherently bad, but it wears out its welcome due to its length. The mogul skiing lets you perform stunts, but its overly-complex controls confounded me.

Not every event is a winner but there's enough variety and the CPU is no pushover. Instead of competing in all ten events, you have the option of selecting the specific ones you'd like to play, and that's a nice option for a portable title. Lillehammer '94 is too difficult for its own good, but being able to play an entire winter Olympics in under 20 minutes keeps the frustration factor to a minimum. © Copyright 2010 The Video Game Critic.

A dynamically-rendered 3D golf game for the Game Gear? That's pretty ambitious! Sure enough, World Class Leader Board delivers the most realistic golf I've experienced on a portable.

Novice players will have a tough row to hoe. You'll need to know the range of your clubs and deal with a complicated swing meter. I had to consult an FAQ just to make sense of that thing. You might not get the best viewing angle for your shot and have to adjust the camera via a clunky menu system.

Prior to each shot the fairways, sandtraps, and trees are painted before your very eyes. Your view is behind your golfer looking out directly towards the flag. Your crosshair however tends to be a little off to the side, making it hard to tell exactly where you're aiming.

This swing meter doesn't require an advanced college degree to use, but it doesn't hurt. You hold in the button to register your power, causing the left half of the meter to climb. After you release at the top, the right half of the meter begins filling in downward. When it reaches a horizontal marker you hit the button again. If you're a little off, you'll execute a nasty hook or slice. It's a challenge to stay on the fairway. On the other hand, when you need to curve around a tree it's no problem.

Once you get the hang of it the game is very satisfying. One element that caught me off guard was the sporadic commentary. The first time I hit a bunker and heard the crystal clear voice say "no doubt about it, that's deep in the sand trap", I nearly fell out of my chair!

World Class Leader Board is a sophisticated golf title for purists looking for some serious golf action. And with four courses, there's ample of replay value too. It takes some effort to get up to speed, but those efforts are ultimately rewarded. © Copyright 2022 The Video Game Critic.

Sega knows a little something about baseball games, and this diminutive version of World Series Baseball provides some terrific, ultra-fast arcade action. The speed of the game is beyond fast - it's frantic. I can only assume Sega programmed it like this so you could play a whole season before your Game Gear batteries wore out. The behind-the-batter pitching view features large players and a perfect view of the strike zone.

The simple, intuitive controls reminded me Sportstalk Baseball (Genesis 1992). This is a game that anyone can pick up and start playing right away. When the ball is hit, an overhead view of the field appears, and your fielders can jump or dive to snag balls. Unfortunately, the action moves so fast that you have almost no time to react. You won't see many extra base hits or double-plays in this game.

At first I wished Sega had slowed down the action to something more reasonable, but after playing a few exciting games at break-neck speed, I got used to it. Problem is, now I can't sit through a "normal" baseball game (too slow!). Sound effects include a voice umpire and non-stop in-game music that could, quite possibly, drive you insane. World Series has a lot of nice features as well, including a slew of playing modes, two-player link, a battery back-up, and all the major league players and teams. This is an ideal game for sports fans with short attention spans. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

This platformer has "corporate" written all over it, with its smallish characters and dull, repetitive stages. Two heroes are playable from the outset: Cyclops and Wolverine. Cyclops is your best bet because his eye laser travels through walls and floors, letting you clear out enemies from a safe distance. Wolverine walks with a limp and his retractable claws aren't much more effective than punching.

X-Men's opening stage takes place in some kind of fancy hotel lobby with a dozen floors connected to elevators. Problem is, when you step into one there's no telling where you'll end up. Everything looks the same and trying to find your way out is an exercise in trial and error. You'll bide your time by gathering power-up icons and beating up Voodoo priests/doormen.

What I failed to realize at first was that the character selection screen doubles as a stage selection screen. But if you expected that to save the day, think again. The next two stages, bridges and sewers, offer similar mind-numbing, repetitive layouts. Whoever designed this game was a real expert at cut-and-paste.

Random enemies including flying aliens and sewer dudes that look like Spider-Man throwing fireballs from his knees. The fighting is horrendous! It feels like you're punching through each enemy until it blinks and disappears. Your best move is the spinning double-jump, reminiscent of the "Luke Skywalker jump" from Super Star Wars (SNES, 1992). It propels you high into the air but I can never pull it off when I need to.

The option menu has the sound effects set to "annoying" as default. I find that ironic because it's not the sound effects that are annoying, it's everything else! I know I use the term "cookie cutter" a lot, but X-Men takes the concept and parades it around all over town. The best thing about this game is the excellent box cover, which no doubt misled countless kids back in the day. © Copyright 2023 The Video Game Critic.